Something Real Prologue
by Chunk127
Summary: Clark and Tara were each betrayed by the people they loved most. After an awkward night they decide to strike up a friendship.


BTVS: Post Tabula Rasa

Smallville: Siren

As usual I don't own a damn thing because I don't like OCs

* * *

Tara wakes up with a very sore head. OK, this was not her best idea ever. Willow scrambled her memories twice in two weeks and her brilliant idea was to get hammered. Add Glory's mind suck to the mix it's amazing she has anything left. Tara looks down at a very male chest and realized she definitely had way too much to drink last night as it all comes back to her. She hopped out of bed and gathered her clothes before running into the bathroom full speed.

Clark woke up and nearly shouted in pain from the sound of the door slamming. Clark got up holding his head he had way too much last night. Clark looked down at his wrist and saw the current source of his pain a chunk of blue kryptonite from Bizarro left on Clark's wrist as a bracelet so he could get drunk. Clark sighed and just silently yanked it off as his body started healing up guess there's one bright side to being an alien. He still can't believe Lana couldn't tell the difference between him and a brutal killer. Chloe had one conversation and knew right away.

Tara came out of the bathroom and saw Clark fully clothed. "H-h-hi"

Clark simply said hey back. "I know who you are Tara we talked last night."

Tara nodded remembering it among other things. "Yes, you also told me you were an alien from Krypton. Along with everyone else in the bar."

Clark felt his stomach drop oh… there is a real good reason he doesn't drink. He innocently laughs hoping she buys this. "I must have been very drunk last night. Make up a story like that."

"Yeah that's what everyone else thought last night." Tara replied. "Except for me"

Clark chuckled. "Tara, I'm just a regular guy."

"Whose aura glows like the sun?" Tara replied with a raised eyebrow.

Clark rubbed his hands remembering that bit from last night seven billion people in the world and he has to blab his secret to a witch as she told him last night between drinks. "You tell on me I'll tell on you." Clark sat down. "So why did you invite me up here last night?"

Tara frowned this one is going to be complicated up until a few days ago she wouldn't have especially with a guy. "Um w-well i-its very complicated."

"Can't be more complicated then me being an alien having a conversation with a good witch." Clark pointed out.

"I needed to see something." Tara told him which was the truth. "You seemed like a nice guy."

Clark wasn't exactly happy to hear that but he didn't say no either, despite the fact that he should have. "So what, I was an experiment?"

Tara sat down next him. "In a way, yes, I just wanted something real because I have no idea what is even real anymore."

Clark had a genuine look of confusion he wonders if this is how Chloe feels when he brings up Krypton. "You seemed to remember a lot about yourself last night."

"Well as far as I know everything I told you last night was the truth." Tara started to explain. "The problem is people kept screwing with my head. Now I don't know what's what anymore."

Clark nodded he actually did have something like that happen before. His whole mind was erased and he almost showed Lex everything. It's the only explanation for the picture of the altar's disappearance and then Lex's renewed interest in the cave. "Someone messed with your memory?"

Tara sadly nodded. "Yes… she did."

"Someone important?" Clark asked from the look of hurt on Tara's face.

Tara nodded sadly not believing things have become so bad between her and Willow that not only could Willow not last one hour without a spell. She tried to take her memory... again. "She was my everything."

Clark ran his hands through his head he can honestly never say he thought he would run into a mess like this and hugged her seeing her upset. "I'm sorry Tara… So did you at least find out what you needed to find out last night?"

Tara thought on it. It was painful but she enjoyed it too almost as much as when she was with Willow. "Honestly if anything, I'm more confused then before. So how about you, what brought you here last night?"

"My completely messed up life" Clark replied for lack of better words. "I wanted to get some drinks and I didn't want any of my friends to be able to find me."

Tara sat down on the couch. "OK w-well what parts of your life."

"The part where my girlfriend was sleeping with my evil double for over a month." Clark replied.

Tara was stuck not sure how to act no wonder he went to the bottle. "Well maybe she couldn't tell."

"Maybe she didn't want to." Clark finally admitted getting more depressed realizing maybe the Phantom was right. "I finally told her the truth about me last year. I thought it would fix everything but… things with her have just been deteriorating between us more and more ever since she came back."

Tara frowned wondering how to say this since she's a witch and he has heat vision. "Well d-don't burn the messenger… but maybe it's just not meant to be."

Clark made a sound somewhere between laugh and sigh. "I'm thinking that more and more. I just… never pictured myself with anyone else." Clark got to his feet. "So umm… thanks for listening to my drunken rant."

"Yeah you too. Buffy always tells me too never under estimate a good rant." Tara replied. "It was nice having someone to talk to about this."

"Don't you have friends in Sunnydale?" Clark asked knowing at least where he was.

"I do" Tara admitted not that she really wants to talk about this with them. "But, they were all Willow's friends first and I don't really have any of my own."

Clark was taken back by that she's so nice how can she not have friends? He's shy and as isolated as you can get but he still has Chloe, Lois, Jimmy, and Kara if he can ever find her again. Clark took a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down his phone number. "Well I don't know much about Sunnydale but if you want a friend I'd be more then willing to listen."

"W-w-what about last night?" Tara asked nervously trying to figure out their drunken fling.

Clark was trying to figure out what to make of last night. Drunken sex with a girl he didn't even know he's thankful his mom is in Washington he's actually kind of scared of the lecture he'd get. "Do you really want to start anything right now?"

Tara nodded in agreement he was right of course she just broke up with Willow and he from the sounds of it he is coming to the end of the line with this Lana woman. "So, friends then."

Clark held his hand out. "Friends"

Tara smiled and shook his hand as they both headed out the door both relieved to have someone to talk to that isn't from their respective home town.

* * *

Tara walked up to her lonely little hobble of an apartment that afternoon; it's not much but until she can figure out what to do next its home. Tara sat down on the couch and stretched out for a while unwinding for an hour or two. She heard a knock on the door. Tara sighed in frustration and walked up to the door. To her surprise she saw Xander of all people there.

"Hey Wicca girl, what are you up to?"

Tara smiled and opened the door letting him in without saying the words since this is Sunnydale. "Xander, hi, don't take this the wrong way but, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to check on a friend… especially since no one has heard anything from you since Will pulled the last forget me not petal from all our brains. Did you just get in?"

Tara nodded. "Ah yeah, I got drunk and slept with a guy last night."

Xander chuckled who would have thought Tara could pull out a funny joke. Xander stopped and collected himself. "Seriously though Tara, how are you?"

"I'm OK Xander. Honestly I'm probably doing a lot better then Willow is." Tara replied as she went to the fridge. "Soda?"

Xander nodded he knew Willow is in trouble but they've let her go for so long. "Is that why you left her?"

"The Magic Box wasn't the first time Willow did that to me." Tara answered. "I can't trust Willow anymore, and I hate it. But I can't stay with her if she's using the magics like this. Especially if she's toying with my mind it's been done enough to me in one lifetime even without magic."

Xander nodded in understanding from the looks of it they should have saw what was happening to Willow a mile away but they still didn't. "Well I gotta go work, the early shift… you're still coming to the wedding right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Tara answered.

* * *

Clark moved in a blur back to the farm and slowly walked up to the house when he got there. With any luck Clark can go in and have a couple hours to himself since Lana is usually at Isis right now. He comes in and to his disappointment he sees Lana there so much for a couple moments peace. Clark frowned and quietly shut the door. "I figured you would be at work?"

"Still trying to avoid me?" Lana asked.

Clark shakes his head no. "I was hoping to have time to figure out the words."

Lana can honestly say she doesn't like the tone in his voice but this is different, he doesn't have that same very pained expression in his eyes he had two years ago after the hypno hooker. "The words for what?"

Clark looked up at her sadly. "I don't think this is going to work."

Lana swallowed deep trying to press down the pain not believing Clark said that. "Clark, how could you say that? Is this about the phantom he was exactly like you so I thought he was you?"

Clark shakes his head no. "Lana… look at us all we do is hurt each other and we're oblivious to who we are. You said it yourself you were happier with... him."

"That's not true Clark… we love each other." Lana said with a tear in her eye. Yes she slept with the phantom but only because she thought it was Clark.

"I love you too Lana, and a part of me always will, but not that way anymore." Clark answered.

"Clark… you can't deny what's between us." Lana said.

Clark would say she was right there but not for the reason she said. "Yes there is something between us Lana, lies on top of lies, you lie to me then I lie to you and it's what we do best, even with my secret out in the open it's still not working between us. We can't even tell each other apart form cold blooded killer phantoms and evil witches."

Lana frowned knowing Clark was right on that front. She couldn't tell him from his double just as he couldn't tell her from Isobel. "Clark people change over time?"

Clark nodded in agreement that much was true. "Yeah but I don't know you anymore, Lana you faked your death and I nearly killed Lex because of it and then you spied on Lex all while I was naive and pushing it away because I still wanted to see you as the girl next door. Even with the secrets out it just doesn't work between us Lana and..."

Lana looked at him and studied him carefully and can see it in his eyes. "You slept with someone."

Clark nodded sadly. "We were both drunk and we both regretted it."

"You don't get drunk." Lana pointed out her pain quickly being replaced by anger.

"I do when I wear blue kryptonite to try get rid of the visuals of what you and him got up to while I was on ice." Clark replied.

Lana looked at him she's not sure how to feel now. "So are you leaving me for her?"

"No, she lives halfway across the country, look Lana I wish I had a better way of realizing how I felt when I did, but I did what I did, and I can't change that despite how much I want to." Clark replied he'd still break up with her he just wouldn't sleep with Tara. "I never wanted to hurt you… but that's what we always do."

Lana frowned and just said the words she never thought she'd hear. "I guess Clark Kent and Lana Lang just weren't meant to be." Lana glared at him. "Can you just not be here in the afternoon? I need to pack everything up so I can move it to Isis. You know a place where people actually do care about me."

"I do care bout you Lana." Clark responded.

Lana frowned. "Just not that way anymore."

Clark nodded as he went for the door. "I'll give you some peace." Clark ran off in a blur.

* * *

Clark walked down to the Daily Planet and saw Chloe working on something as he walks over. Chloe was trying to see anything about that file before Leather Tweety knocked her on her ass and gave her a shiner. Clark sees the physical bruises and Chloe sees the emotional bruises. "Are you OK?" They each ask each other simultaneously.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Oh we're on a roll here."

"What happened to your face it looked like you fell down a flight of steps?" Clark replied.

Chloe smiled she knew it was only a matter of time before Clark was going to find out better her then someone else. "Oh I got beat up by a leather clad Diva."

Clark sighed taking a seat next to her, what else can happen today. "I hope you don't mind company."

Chloe looked him over he seems relieved. "Oh good you and Lana got over that hill and are back together."

Clark looked at her awkwardly. "Not exactly"

Chloe looked at him. "What happened?"

"We kind of… well, I kind of broke up with her." Clark replied as Chloe gets a far off look. "Chloe, are you OK?"

Chloe nodded trying to process this. "Yeah, I'm just… you dumped Lana."

"Can you say it with a little less shock in your voice?" Clark pleaded.

Chloe was trying to reboot her brain this was a lot to take in. "It's just you and Lana aren't you and Lana anymore, its a lot to take in. Why, the Phantom?"

Clark shrugged not sure how to explain it. Lana came back but it wasn't his Lana anymore. "It's just been a lot of little things, and I think the Phantom was just the final straw."

Chloe nodded in understanding though she wishes she didn't. She's pretty sure Lex will take all of six seconds to try to take advantage of this bombshell when word spreads. She was here all year since they got back together and she saw all the little cracks Clark spoke of, she was duped into the first crack when Lana locked her 'best friend' into a freezer. She's glad she didn't go through Hypothermia before Clark got her out.

Clark looked at Chloe to get back on point "What happened to your face?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and Clark is going to yell at Oliver.

* * *

Clark got up and saw all the glass scattered about near Lex's office. Well that went well. He doesn't hear nothing but static and feels blood dripping from his ears. Oliver was right definitely sound vibrations. He looked down and is thankful his phone is on vibrate as he pulled it out. He listens to it for a moment but doesn't get anything clear. "What… What… Tara is that you?... Oh this is ridiculous." He lowers his voice and whispers into the phone. "I can't hear a word you're saying because I got my ear drums popped by Lex's little diva look I'll call later I promise and I'm sorry I literally can't hear you right now."

Clark hung up the phone well the Black Canary is working for Lex so Oliver's place then the mansion.

* * *

Clark came home and rested his head in the shower faucet as the water hit him. To say this has been a unique day had been an understatement. Lois learned the truth about Oliver but just as quickly dumped him fearing the world would need him more. Well who watches the guardians?

Clark came out and laid back on bed the first time it was himself alone in the house first it was his parents then Kara, then Lana and now here he is all alone like he always feared. He decides to take his mind off it by taking a phone and dialing up Tara he promised to talk to her later anyway.

"Hello" A voice on the other end asked upset.

Clark took a minute it sounds like she's been crying. "Tara are you alright?"

Tara collected herself over the phone. "Yeah, it's stupid and a question I should be asking you. You got your ears blown off apparently."

"Eardrums they healed up about two minutes after you called. I would have called earlier but I kind of had my hands full. But my friends got a den mother out of the deal."

Tara let out a little chuckle. "Sounds like you had quite the day."

"To say the least" Clark replied. "How about you what do you need to talk about?"

Tara frowned remembering her fun day. "Dawn convinced me to see Willow. I called to hear your opinion but you were obviously busy. So…I went anyway."

Clark nodded he thinks he'd do it too. "Did you two work it out?"

"No, she came in high as a kite when drugs were our main problem and I just left, I couldn't take anymore." Tara replied. "I'm currently looking for a spell to restore my memories so I can see what else she took from me.

Clark listened in understanding he wouldn't have wanted to stay either. "Anything I can do?"

Tara thought on but her answer was. "No, at least right now. So how are you emotionally?"

Clark sighed. "Not happy but I'm calm which is a rare thing for me."

Tara thought on that she guesses him and Lana really are done. "Well I'm going to let you go to sleep OK. It's like 11:30 where you are. Goodnight Clark"

Clark smiled and replied. "Goodnight Tara" He hung up the phone thankful for a friend that Lana doesn't know.

* * *

Author's Notes

This started off as a much different story. Then I read what I wrote for the original and realized that it was the same thing as another story but just with Tara instead of Willow.

I'm only putting up the prologue for now for many reasons, I want to finish other stories first, I want to see what people think and whether or not I should continue. This story will be one that throws canon to the curb and stomps it with character deaths, darker turns and the like.


End file.
